Trafford

Born in Australia in 1916, the son of Robert James & Jean Bright Hamilton.

Cousin of Captain Herbert Reid Lake DSO who was also killed during WW2.

Navigator.

In 1940, RAF Cottesmore was home to 185 Squadron which became the Hampden
Operational Training Unit - No. 14 OTU.   Cottesmore’s Hampdens’ first
trespass into hostile airspace was a leaflet dropping operation over
northern France In October 1940.

Early in 1941, writing from RAF Cottesmore whilst under training with No.14
O.T.U. Robert wrote to his sister in which he complains that he "has had
enough".   Referring to the number of long days and nights that they are
continually required to fly on missions with no days off.  "If only we
could only get one day off a week to look forward to would have been a
great relief".   Robert was obviously under a great deal of strain during
that training period.   

After training onto bombers, on the night of the 10th April 1941, Robert
was flying with 144 Sqn.   The crew took off from R.A.F. Hemswell,
Lincolnshire, in a Hampden Mk I, No. X3066 PL on a bombing operation over
Dusseldorf.   They were shot down by Lt. Hans-Dieter FrankI./NJG1 in a
night fighter and crashed at 2332hrs some 2 km SW of Neeroeteren (Limburg),
6 km WSW of Maaseik, Belgium.   All four crewmen were lost and were buried
in the Neeroeteren Village Churchyard, close to the crash site.  Their
remains were later exhumed and buried in the Adegem Canadian Military
Cemetery.   Neeroeteren being situated in eastern Belgium, close to the
Dutch border.

Also killed was the pilot - Flying Officer Noel J. Kerr, plus the two other
crew members - Sergeant Jack Howell, DFM and Arthur R. Wickens.

I am indebted to Ray Parnell for sending me much of the above information.